That first pair I found to be very difficult to run in. After only a mile, my arches were aching, and I didn't much feel like running any further. I made a few more attempts over the course of the next week, but every time I found I could not run very far, and the arches of my feet would complain the whole time. After a couple of weeks, I went to the store, and returned the shoes. With store credit in hand (store policy is "no refunds"), I set about to find a better fit. I did end up getting another pair that worked quite a bit better for me, and had enough credit left to pick up a pair of Muzio running shorts, as well.
At the track, I found I could go further than I had with the previous shoes, and it took a good deal longer for my arches to complain enough for me to stop ignoring the pain. On a whim, I removed the shoes, and ran a few laps barefoot. Lo, and behold, I found that I had instantly trimmed a full minute off my pace, and could run twice as far with no ill effects whatsoever (not even the slightest pain in my arches).
Back at home, I quickly discovered the Running Barefoot web site. The rest, as they say, is history. I began transitioning away from shoes to bare feet for my running excursions. I was planning on running the Dave Retik 5k Fun Run on Father's day, and intended to run it barefoot. As race day drew near, I scoped out the route, and found there was a section which crossed underneath the commuter rail line which was littered with sharp rocks. Knowing this would be a bit too much for my soles to bear, I set about to find some protection that would only minimally impede the natural feedback systems afforded to the barefoot inclined. In the end, I settled on a pair of Teva watershoes, which I since have worn in cold conditions and when the road gets too rough. I am getting more accustomed to running barefoot in a wider variety of conditions, but I still have a way to go before I am ready to tackle anything and everything barefoot with sufficient confidence to leave the watershoes behind.